Planning for your wedding in 2020 just got a whole lot more complicated.
Here's what you need to do, in light of the coronavirus, for your upcoming wedding in 2020.
Wedding Insurance
If you didn't know wedding insurance existed you're not alone. It's one of the important, but not talked about, aspects of the wedding industry. Every policy is different, so talk to your insurance agent for specifics, but wedding insurance is there to protect you and your investments during the wedding process because weddings are not cheap. Wedding insurance protects a couple's investment from circumstances beyond their control, and reimburses expenses incurred. An example would be if your officiant gets doesn't show up and your have to find a new one the day of…for three times the price. Or if your florist goes out of business a month before your wedding and you have to find a new one. Or even if you lose your wedding dress in airport baggage the day before your wedding. Wedding insurance is there to cover those wedding day financial losses. If you don't have wedding insurance I highly suggest looking into it, especially in light of recent events.
Read the Contracts!
ALL of your wedding vendors should have you sign a contract! That contract protects both you and that vendor if anything goes wrong and also holds them accountable to do the job you hired them to do. If you have a vendor that doesn't have a contract, RUN! That is NOT a vendor you should work with and odds are that you'll have difficulty with that vendor down the line even if that vendor is a friend. Additionally every vendor should have a cancellation policy and/or a clause about rescheduling in their contract. Read what that is so you know what to expect if you need to reschedule or cancel! By reading through your contracts you'll know how each vendor will operate in unforeseen circumstances. If your vendor doesn't have anything in their contract about things you're potentially concerned about please talk to them and ask them what their policy would be in certain scenarios!
Have a Backup Plan
Since we don't know how long this could go on, if your wedding is in 2020 it's probably a good idea to at least think about what your backup plan would be. If you need to reschedule your wedding to a different date what date would work best, financially what would that mean for you, and what are the true essential aspects of your wedding? Should you look into having a smaller wedding or even an elopement? It's also a good idea to think about back up plans for other scenarios. Could your caterer do a buffet-free option to avoid contamination if needed? Will there be places for guests to wash their hands? Will there be enough room so people aren't overly crowded? Beyond these particular concerns make sure you also have backup plans for more typical occurrences like if it rains on your wedding day or if one of you gets sick on your wedding day.
Go Local
Something that's been brought to the attention of many because of this pandemic has been shipping and receiving goods. Many items used in weddings are manufactured over seas and shipped to the United States. Shopping local not only supports your local economy, but also gives you access to the items you want on the schedule you need them. To be on the safe side, shop local whenever possible, especially for something as important as your wedding.
This is a scary time, for the wedding industry in particular, but you can do your best to be prepared for any scenario that comes your way! If you just got engaged and don't know where to start the wedding planning process check out this post about the first 10 things you should do when you get engaged. You got this!!!
If you have any questions or need help coming up with a backup plan please reach out to me.